Rainy Days
by Feather Bed-Head
Summary: Once there were two girls, growing up in the midst of a war... and they wanted to be a part of it. Rated T for future violence.
1. Chapter 1

The house appeared normal outside. It had windows dead center and the paint looked fresh. Smoke only came from the chimney in the wintertime and weird noises were a rare occasion. Still, if you were to enter the house, you would find it very abnormal indeed.

For instance, the pots in the sink were washing themselves. There was an odd wooden stick laying on a table, and the pictures in the newspaper were moving. An owl hooted from the basement. Another one hooted in return from a bedroom. And in that bedroom, there was a girl, sitting at a desk and writing a letter on a piece of parchment, with silver ink. The letter would make no sense whatsoever if a muggle were to read it.

_Dear Caitlin, _

_Have you gotten your Hogwarts letter yet? I have, and it was such a beautiful owl! My mum already got my books and robes and such, so all that's left is a wand. I wanted to know if you would like to go wand shopping with me. Ollivander's at one o'clock on Tuesday? Send your reply back as soon as you can. I can't wait to get sorted! _

_See you soon!_

_Naomi_

When Caitlin O'Connor saw a tawny owl land on her windowsill, she smiled. After she had read the letter, she scrawled a hasty reply and sent it off with Owen, her best friend Naomi's owl. Her Hogwarts letter had arrived yesterday. Practically bursting with curiosity, Caitlin had torn it opened, and in her haste ripped the precious letter in two. She had read it best she could, and told her mother what she needed, then went outside to cool down after the initial excitement wore off.

The dirt road stretched for miles, offering unending things to do. Caitlin hopped the fence that separated her yard from everything else, and started strolling down the road, kicking up dirt that settled in her clothes and hair. After a half a mile of walking in the sticky August heat, she headed off the side of the road, looking for the swimming hole to cool off.

Diagon Alley was crowded and exciting. Naomi and Caitlin didn't know where to look. Caitlin, who was a bookworm, insisted on going into Flourish and Blotts, even though the books for school had already been bought, and Naomi, who was a jock, made everyone follow her to Quality Quidditch Supplies, even though brooms were off-limits to first years. Finally, they entered Ollivander's. Caitlin went first, and she ended up purchasing the second wand she tried; unicorn hair and yew, ten inches. Naomi took longer to find her wand, which ended up being phoenix feather and redwood, thirteen inches.

Once outside of Ollivander's, Naomi and Caitlin said their goodbyes and parted, promising to see each other soon. The rest of summer flew by, and before they knew it, they were boarding the Hogwarts Express and trying to find an empty compartment. Failing that, they settled on one with a single student inside; a girl that looked their age, with long red hair and emerald green eyes.

"Hello! I'm Caitlin, and this is my best friend Naomi. May we sit here?"

The girl nodded slightly. "Sure. I'm Lily Evans." She had a soft voice, and Caitlin immediately liked her. They spent the train ride swapping stories, laughing as Lily tried her first ever Bertie Bott's Bean (bacon), and generally having a good time.

By the time they left the train, they were inseparable. A small girl who introduced herself as Ella joined them in their boat. The four entered the Great Hall completely confident that they would all be put in the same house. Little did they know the Sorting Hat had other ideas…


	2. Chapter 2

"Aaron, Naomi!" was the first name to be called. Naomi took a deep breath and sat on the stool, jumping slightly as the hat was placed on her head. Caitlin watched nervously as her best friend twirled her hair, a habit she had.

"Gryffindor!" the hat finally called out. Naomi smiled and gave Caitlin a thumbs-up as she took her seat.

Black, Sirius was also made a Gryffindor, and Bride, Gabby was the first Hufflepuff. Caitlin tuned out until the next name she recognized was called.

"Evans, Lily!" Lily appeared to be having a serious debate with the hat, which she must have won, because her smile was very wide when the hat proclaimed her a Gryffindor.

Caitlin was getting nervous. Ella, the girl from their boat, was made a Hufflepuff, and shot a disappointed look over her shoulder to Naomi and Lily, who were sitting next to each other. Caitlin felt a pang of jealousy.

Finally, "O'Connor, Caitlin!" was called. Caitlin pushed her way up to the stool, smoothing her skirt out as she sat down.

_Hmm… interesting…fascinating…_ said a small voice in her head.

_So happy to amuse you, can we please get on with the sorting? _Caitlin thought.

_Hmph. _The hat humphed. _Be careful. I hold grudges._

Caitlin smiled. _Maybe I do too._

_What could you possibly do to me? _The hat scoffed.

_Tons of things. Please just sort me into Gryffindor and be done._

_Oh, no! _The hat chuckled. _You don't belong in Gryffindor! You belong in Slytherin._

_No! _Caitlin screamed internally. _No, no, please, no! If not Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff! Not Slytherin!_

_Sorry. _The hat smirked. _You'll do well in _Slytherin!

The hat shouted out the last word for the whole hall to here. Caitlin grabbed it off her head, shook it, threw it on the ground, stomped on it, and handed it back to the Professor before storming over to the Slytherin table, muttering the whole way about grudge-holding hats. Naomi glanced at her and gave her a look that clearly said, "Oh well."

Caitlin bit her lip and tried not to cry as she saw Naomi saying something to Lily that made her laugh. _She _should be the one sitting there, laughing with Naomi. _She _was Naomi's best friend since as long as she could remember! Not Lily. Stupid flippin' Lily!

Caitlin only picked at her dinner, and as soon as they reached the Slytherin dungeons, she flung herself facedown on her bed, which was quilted with silver and green, and burst into tears.

Everything had gone so completely _wrong _in one word! By saying that one word, the hat had sentenced Caitlin to seven years of complete hell! Why did that hat have so much power over her? Why did Dumbledore trust that thing that was probably infested with lice?

Caitlin sat straight up. _Dumbledore. _She could tell Dumbledore that there must have been a mistake, that she didn't truly belong in Slytherin. She tried to imagine his reaction and slumped back in her pillows.

Of course Dumbledore would say, "I am certain you are in the correct house. The sorting hat is never wrong." And the sorting hat would be there, sitting on a shelf, and _laughing _at her. And Caitlin would have to fight the urge to rip that hat into pieces so small that it would be beyond repair, even to a genius like Dumbledore.

Everything was _ruined! _Caitlin let out a sob, and immediately after, realized she wasn't alone. A couple of girls she would be living with for the next seven years were giggling. One said, "If she thinks sobbing will get her into Gryffindor, she's mistaken. Gryffindor doesn't accept crybabies." The other one laughed.

"What's your name, crybaby?" The first one jeered.

"Caitlin O'Connor," Caitlin mumbled. "What're yours?"

"I'm Mary Kate, and this is my best friend Madalyn. You don't have any friends here," The second sneered at her.

"If she is in need of a friend, we'd be happy to help that need as best we can." Came a voice from the doorway. Caitlin whipped around, as did Madalyn and Mary Kate. Two girls stood in the doorway.

"Hello Caitlin," one said. "My name is Rhonwen and this is my twin Aphrodite, but you can call me Ronnie and her Aphro."

"Hi," Caitlin muttered, suddenly shy.

"You don't want to be friends with those losers," Madalyn scoffed.

"Yes, I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to go to bed," Caitlin said, recovering her bravery. She climbed in bed after changing into her pajamas, and thought about why the hat could possibly see her as Slytherin material. The Slytherin Quidditch team came to mind, which brought on another thought.

Caitlin wasn't as much of a jock as Naomi, but they had even planned to be Beaters together! How could they be Beaters together, when they were playing on different teams?

Suddenly Caitlin sat straight up in bed, hit with an idea. She wrote it down so she wouldn't forget and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Maybe being in Slytherin wouldn't be so bad after all.


End file.
